Halyard silencing clasp

ABSTRACT

A flag clasp for silencing a flagpole halyard in windy conditions which includes a clew which is secured to the flag clasp. The clew encircles the inner halyard run and may be formed integral with the clasp at the point where the halyard is tied off. The clasp is formed of two substantially flat body members which are journaled together by a hollow axle through which the outer halyard is tied. Each body member terminates in oppositely directed hooks which provide an opening eye for securing the flag. Any lateral movement of the outside halyard, by reason of wind or the like, will result in the inside halyard&#39;&#39;s movement with the outside halyard rather than in the opposite direction in which it contacts the flagpole creating a noise condition.

United States Patent 1191 Lingo, Jr. I

, 1451 July so, 1974 Related Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 276,713, July 31,

1972, abandoned.

[52] US. Cl 116/174, 24/232, 114/114 [51] Int. Cl. G09f 17/00 [58] Field of Search 1 16/173, 174, 175; 24/239, 24/241 PP, 232; D38/l9; 114/109, 110, 111,

[56] References Cited I UNITED STATES PATENTS 44,582 10/1864 Balans 114/114 549,096 ll/l895 Baker 24/232 1,048,291 12/1912 Buckley 116/174 1,338,210 4/1920 Buckley 116/173 1.754.043 4/1930 Port)... 24/232 7/1949 Cook 9 2,476,403 2,493,855 1/1950 Bucks 116/173 3,599,298 8/1971 Anderson 24/232 Primary ExaminerLouis .l. Capozi Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Charles F. Duffield [5 7 ABSTRACT A flag clasp for silencing a flagpole halyard in windy conditions which includes a clew which is secured to the flag clasp. The clew encircles the inner halyard run and may be formed integral with the clasp at the point where the halyard is tied off. The clasp is formed of two substantially flat body members which are jour naled together by a hollow axle through which the outer halyard is tied. Each body member terminates in oppositely directed hooks which provide an opening eye for securing the flag. Any lateral movement of the outside halyard, by reason of wind or the like, will result in the inside halyards movement with the outside halyard rather than in the opposite direction in which it contacts the flagpole creating a noise condition.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures a -2 7 (,1 co

A Q 7 (,q (/4 o c 7 a a VJ (H1 (/6 A (/4 A 7 Q. 7 17 7 (,4 l, A A

A (A1 A s 7 (A1 (A1 'flagpole of FIG. 1 illustrating the halyard HALYARD SILENCING CLASP This application is a continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 276,713, filed July 31, 1972, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND AND' INVENTION The present invention concerns flagpole riggings, and, more specifically, to a halyard silencing clasp including a clew.

A conventional flagpole employs a halyard pulley at the top of the pole and a cleat at the bottom. A halyard is suspended over the halyard pulley and forms an inner and outer halyard run between the cleat and the pulley.

Generally, two clasps are employed on the outside halyard run and are secured to the halyard by a knot through a loop at the end of the clasp. A flag is then secured to the clasps in a conventional manner.

Under windy conditions, the flag will pull the outer halyard run away from the pole. As this occurs, the inner halyard run will be pulled taut and slap against the side of the pole creating a noise condition. This is especially true with hollow metal flagpoles which are in common use.

OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF INVENTION It is the object of the present invention to provide an improved halyard clasp and included clew which will eliminate noisy contact of the inner halyard with the flagpole.

The foregoing object is carried out by the present invention in the utilization ofa clasp which includes a clew which may be formed integral with the body of the clasp. The clasp includes two substantially flat body members journaled together by a hollow axle and each terminating in oppositely directed hook portions to form an opening securint eye. In use, the clew encircles the inner halyard securing while the outer halyard run is tied off through the hollow axle. As the outer halyard run is drawn taut in windy conditions, the inner halyard run is also pulled outwardly with the outer halyard run and eliminates the noise of the inner halyard runs contact with the flagpole.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the detailed description of the invention which follows taken in conjunction with the drawing.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an entire flagpole and rigging employing the halyard silencing clasp of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the upper portion of the silencing clasp of the present invention in use;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the halyard silencing clasp of the present invention in open position; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective cut away view of the clasp shown in FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION FIG. 1 illustrates a flagpole rigging arrangement in which the halyard clasp of the present invention is employed. A flagpole 10 generally employs a top halyard pulley 14 at the upper portion of the flagpole. A tie off 2 cleat 15 is generally disposed onthe lower portion of the flagpole.

A halyard 13 is rigged between the halyard pulley l4 and the tie off cleat 15. The halyard so rigged in this manner includes an inner halyard run which is adjacent the pole and an. outer halyard run.

A conventional rigging includes a clasp which is tied off to the outer halyard run. The clasp will include a conventional snap eye which snaps to the eye 16 of the flag 11. In this arrangement, movement between the inner halyard run and outer halyard run is not controlled. Under windy conditions, the flag will be carried with the wind and draw the outer halyard run taut away from the flagpole. As this occurs, the inner halyard run will likewise be drawn taut but in the opposite direction against the pole thus contacting the pole and creating a noise condition. This noise condition created by the inner halyard run is eliminated by the clasp 12 of the present invention which is generally shown in FIG. 1 and, in more detail, in FIGS. 2-4. I I

The halyard clasp 12 of the present invention includes a first substantially flat body member 17. The body member 17 includes an aperture 21 disposed centrally of the body member. One end 24 of the flat body member 17 terminates in a hook 25.

The opposite end 23 of the substantially flat member 17 is fomied integral with the body member 17 and includes an aperture 32 therein. The aperture 32 in conjunction with the end 23 of the member forms a clew which is used as hereinafter described.

The clasp 12 also includes a second substantially flat member 18. The member 18 has an axle 20 projecting perpendicular from the surface of the member 18. The axle is hollow and includes an aperture 19 therein which extends entirely through the substantially flat member 18 and its-projecting axle. The dimensions of the axle 20 are such as to provide a complementary fit within the aperture 21 in the first body member 17 to journal the second body member 18 within the first body member 17 as shown in FIG. 4.

As more specifically shown in FIG. 4, the lower porwhich cooperates with the champfer. In those cases it is desired that the clasp be made of a metallic material, a pressing operationcan be performed to create the interlocking flange.

The second body member 18 further includes a hook 27 projecting from one end thereof. The hook 27 is of a configuration complementary with the hook 25 in the first body member but is of an opposite direction. The hook 27 is so dimensioned that the hooks 25 and 27 of the first and second body members respectively will overlay one another to form a closed securing eye when the hooks are rotated toward each other and shown in FIG. 2 and which may be opened when rotated apart as shown in FIG. 3.

The first and second body members and their associated hooks are maintained in a closed position by a projection anddetent arrangement. The hook 25 ingrip 29 is adapted to be engaged by the thumb while the fingers of the hand grip the opposite side of the clasp. Pressure on the thumb will disengage the projection from the detent and the clasp will be opened.

The upper portion of the first body member 17 includes an abutment shoulder 31. The second body member 18 likewise includes a corresponding abutment shoulder 30. The respective shoulders 30 and 31 are designed to abut each other, as shown in FIG. 3, to provide a stop for the maximum open travel of the hooks one from another.

The clasp of the present invention is shown in use in FIG. 2. The halyard runs are rigged such that the inner halyard run passes through the clew in the clasp. The outer halyard run passes through the opening 19 in the axle of the second body member. Overhand knots in the outer halyard run above and below the clasp and on either side of the axle secure the clasp to the outer halyard run.

After the clasp has been rigged to the halyard, the flag 11 can be easily attached and disattached from the clasp. During attachment, the second body member is rotated away from the first body member to open the securing eye. Thereafter, the eye 16 of the flag is passed over the hook of the first body member and the hook on the second body member then snapped into place to close the securing eye. Thereafter, the halyard may be drawn to raise the flag to the top of the pole.

It will be appreciated that the clasp of the present invention provides an unique structure in which the inner and outer halyard runs are tied together to prevent noisy contact of the inner halyard with the pole during windy conditions. It will also be appreciated that the clasp of the present invention provides a novel and unique cooperation of axle for journaling of the first and second body members to provide the securing closure while at the same time the hollow axle doubles as the eye through which the outer halyard is passed for securing the clasp to the halyard.

The flag clasp of the present invention has been described in respect to the particular embodiment thereof shown in the drawing. Other modifications and. embodiments of the design shown may become apparent to those skilled in the art by reason of the foregoing disclosure. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the embodiment shown is illustrative of the invention only and the scope of the invention is to be determined by the claims.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for supporting a flag including a flagpole, a halyard pulley and cleat carried by the flagpole at the upper and lower portions thereof respectively, a

halyard rigged between the halyard pulley and cleat forming an inner and outer halyard run and at least one clasp secured to the outside halyard run for securing a flag; an improved clasp'including a first substantially flat body member having an aperture therein perpendicular to the body member and terminating at one end in a flat hook;

a second substantially flat body member having a hollow axle extending perpendicular therefrom of configuration to mate with the first aperture within the first body member and journal the first and second body members one to another, the second body member terminating in a second hook of con figuration to cooperate with the first hook to form an opening securing eye as the first and second body members are rotated one to another; and

a clew secured to either the first or second flat body member whereby the outside halyard run may be tied off through the hollow axle of the second flat body member and the inside halyard run may be passed through the clew permitting the inner and outer halyard runs to move together in wind induced lateral movements of the flag thus preventing and silencing the inner halyards contact with the flagpole.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first and second hooks include a cooperating projection and detent to maintain the hooks in closed position.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the clew is formed integral with either the first or second body member and further including a thumb grip projecting from the other body member to aid in opening of the clasp. 

1. In apparatus for supporting a flag including a flagpole, a halyard pulley and cleat carried by the flagpole at the upper and lower portions thereof respectively, a halyard rigged between the halyard pulley and cleat forming an inner and outer halyard run and at least one clasp secured to the outside halyard run for securing a flag; an improved clasp including a first substantially flat body member having an aperture therein perpendicular to the body member and terminating at one end in a flat hook; a second substantially flat body member having a hollow axle extending perpendicular therefrom of configuration to mate with the first aperture within the first body member and journal the first and second body members one to another, the second body member terminating in a second hook of configuration to cooperate with the first hook to form an opening securing eye as the first and second body members are rotated one to another; and a clew secured to either the first or second flat body member whereby the outside halyard run may be tied off through the hollow axle of the second flat body member and the inside halyard run may be passed through the clew permitting the inner and outer halyard runs to move together in wind induced lateral movements of the flag thus preventing and silencing the inner halyard''s contact with the flagpole.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first and secOnd hooks include a cooperating projection and detent to maintain the hooks in closed position.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the clew is formed integral with either the first or second body member and further including a thumb grip projecting from the other body member to aid in opening of the clasp. 